So today should be fun.
I love hearing about the real side of motherhood, the side where you sit in your car and tear into a rotisserie chicken because the kids are content, the air is blasting and you're literally starving. Not that I've ever done that ;) I'm sharing a few of my "Momfessions" today and I'd love for you to link up and share yours or leave them in the comments.
COOKIE STASH
I have a secret stash of Milano cookies by the computer. They're the double dark chocolate kind and they're all mine. AND they're hidden in the very back of the drawer behind the stapler, paper clips, etc. My kids will occasionally catch me with one and I deny, deny, deny.
ARTWORK DRAWER
I am the worst about going through Luke's folder and picking out what to keep and what to throw away. I'm ashamed to admit that 1/3 of the drawers in my front hall dresser are filled with junk from school that should probably be trashed. Cleaning them out is always on my to-do-list, but I dread doing it and so I always find an excuse not to. I even bought an app to take pictures of it all and make books and I've never even opened it. Money well spent. #obviously
BATH TIME
I don't bathe my kids every night (GASP!!!) It started with Luke because of his eczema when he was young and has carried through until now. If they're hot or sweaty or have been outside then for sure they get one, but otherwise it's a washcloth wipe down.
NOT MY KID
I kind of love seeing other people's kids having a public meltdown. Before you think I'm the worst person ever, it's because at that particular moment it's not MY kid having a meltdown. Also, it makes me feel like I'm not the only one whose kids may lose their mind on a last minute grocery store run after a long day at school.
GERMS, GERMS and MORE GERMS
I don't think I've ever wiped down a grocery cart before putting my kid in it. Gross, I know. I also let my babies eat finger foods directly off the table at restaurants.
REAR FACING
I kept both Mason and G rear facing because it's safer, but also because I didn't want them to see me eating snacks.
GIFT CARDS
I got so many gift cards when I was pregnant with Luke that Dave and I bought all the seasons of 24 on DVD. They were a total necessity when you have a newborn, right?!?!?!?!
GETTING CHANGED
Oftentimes after school (when Dave is home), I will go change in my closet. And by change, I mean sit on the floor, drink a cup of tea and play some Candy Crush. No shame.
THE JIG IS UP
Luke is reading really well and I feel like the jig is up. I can no longer tell him that the sign on the RedBox says, "all out of movies". The flip side is that he can read Griffin "Red Hat, Blue Hat" 37 times in a row now.
NO CLUE
A lot of days I feel like I have no clue what I'm doing. I do the best I can, pour my heart and soul into my kids, but sometimes I lay in bed and wonder if it's enough. I wonder if me losing my temper before bedtime is going to be what they remember instead of the great day we had or if letting the boys watch Ninja Turtles is going to spur violent outbursts as pre-teens :) (I jest, but seriously! hahaha)
I try to be transparent and honest about motherhood because we're all in the same messy, crazy, laundry-filled boat. Parenting isn't always pretty and it's comforting for me to know that there are other moms who hide cookies from their kids and take an extra lap (or three) around the neighborhood after school to avoid the witching hour that happens when you walk in the door.
Happy Tuesday, friends!!! I hope that you found some comfort in my confessions today - now time to share yours!
These are hilarious! I love the Red Box one especially. Thanks for a fun linkup!
ReplyDeleteWe've always joked that we read to him too much as a toddler and set ourselves up for 1,000,000 super intelligent questions a day - but I am totally not ready for him to be reading! hahaha
DeleteAndrea!! LOVE the fact you have a cookie stash!! Also- right there with you on having no clue! :) Most days I still look at my kids and can't believe they are MINE...and that I am grown up enough to be doing this mommy gig. Hardest, craziest, BEST job ever. Have an awesome day!!
ReplyDeleteRight?!?! I have those "they're mine???" moments as well :) Thanks so much for reading and commenting! :)
DeleteMy very favorite is their rear facing car seats!! Love it!
ReplyDeleteMama doesn't want to share her baked white cheddar cheetos!!! :)
DeleteI knew we were kindred spirits....no daily bathing, never wiped down a grocery cart, eat straight off the table..yep.
ReplyDeleteAin't nobody got time for wiping down a grocery cart. PLUS they've already touched the door/cart/etc. with their hands and put them in their mouth, so I never knew how much good they were really doing. :)
Deletelol!! A super fun linkup idea~ :-)
ReplyDeleteElizabeth
allkindsofthingsblog.com
Thanks, Elizabeth!
DeleteI've been reading through these confessions and they totally made my morning! I love this series girl! Love. It!
ReplyDeleteYAY!!! I loved yours as well :)
Delete......."but also because I didn't want them to see me eating snacks." I love you.
ReplyDeleteOnce they know you're eating it's game over. I can crunch a cheeto silently like a ninja.
DeleteIt's unfortunate you didn't post momfessionals Sheaffer. I'm a fan of your posts and would've loved to read yours 😆
DeleteLove these! And I am so with you on the bathing thing. My kids skin dries out super easily, so we don't do baths (or showers) every day. I've seen some pretty shocked faces when I admit to that!
ReplyDeleteWe're very European and therefore classy in our thinking :) hahaha
DeleteMy favorite is the rear facing seats, but I have a candy stash that is all mine also!! Ha! Too funny, girl!! I love!!
ReplyDeleteNow that they're all forward facing the name of the game is "deny, deny, deny". What?!?! I don't know what you're talking about??? I'm definitely NOT eating triscuits!
DeleteLOL! Rear Facing...I love this!!! Thanks for making me laugh on a (cold!) Tuesday morning in Minnesota!
ReplyDeleteYou are so welcome! Thanks for reading!!! :)
DeleteI am absolutely loving reading these! Thank you for hosting this! I love knowing I'm not the only one who hides food & snacks on the regular & that other moms feel like they totally don't have this all figured out too!
ReplyDeleteI WISH I had it all figured out! But until I get it all together I'll continue doing laps around the neighborhood and eating secret candy :) Thanks so much for reading!
DeleteHa! You are the one shopping, so use the gift card as you see fit...kiddos will never know. :)
ReplyDeleteHiding cookies? Is that something necessary to confess? Isn't that what your supposed to do? Doesn't everyone do that?? Mine is dark chocolate.
Except that now I spilled the beans :) hahaha
DeleteMy kids are so well behaved when they see other kids having meltdowns...they will seriously stare! So I'm also guilty of that one! And it actually dries out kids' skin if they bathe ever day in the winter...that's my story and I'm sticking to it! ;)
ReplyDeleteMine stare as well - but sometimes I feel like they're taking notes on how to pitch a REALLY good fit the next time :) hahaha
DeleteHigh five to hiding food! It is key to Mama survival
ReplyDeleteI think it starts during pregnancy - I used to hide the "good popsicles" at the back so that Dave wouldn't eat them :)
DeleteWho doesn't love a moment when it's actually NOT your kid, yet your kid can see this child losing their marbles. I use it as a learning tool. "Can you believe that's what you look like when you act like that" haha! Seriously. We've all been that parent, bless our hearts! Raising Kids is NOT for the weary. :)
ReplyDeleteI love that spin on it!!! And yes - NOT for the weary at all! :)
DeleteSometimes I suggest baths to kill 30 minutes, plus it's 30 minutes of no fighting in our house!
ReplyDeleteI also suggest playing hide and seek for the minutes of silence while I hide! :)
We do rainy day baths on the regular and I love the hide and seek suggestion :)
DeleteI have an eczema kid too and he hardly bathed as a baby. My husband thought it was strange when friends bathed their babies every night. Not us!!
ReplyDeleteI did use a cover at restaurants but have never wiped a grocery cart and don't carry Purell. My closet is my time out spot and if I could get a mini fridge in there, I would!!!
I LOVE the fresh bath smell, but a couple times a week made it even more special :) hahaha I need a mini fridge!
DeleteNot that you're looking for a suggestion, but I'm going to share one with you :) Kids schoolwork... I have 2 kids so each school year I buy 2 rectangular plastic bins at Target... big enough for papers and such, but small enough so that they fit sideways in my kitchen closet. Since the kitchen is where the kids always unload their backpacks, I grab the stack of schoolwork and throw away the stuff I don't want and put the keep stuff right inside those bins. Or, if I don't have time to go through it, I just throw it all in their bin. School pictures, artwork, tests, written projects, etc. Those little bins save me from having a mess everywhere and gives me an easy way to have their stuff in one place. At the end of the school year, I label them with 'Emily - 1st grade', put them in storage, and buy a new fresh one for the school year ahead. Hope that helps!
ReplyDeleteI love that idea!!! I need to find some great containers... and throw away three years worth of papers in the meantime :)
DeleteI love your suggestion! Thanks for sharing 😉
DeleteOk here is a sad confession I have been reading your blog for a long time and thought momfessionals was like a take on professional, as in you're a professional mom! What?? I feel pretty silly right now! Loved all these momfessions
ReplyDeleteIt can totally be both! Although I hardly consider myself a professional mom :)
DeleteThought EXACTLY the same thing! Hahah
DeleteThis is why I love your blog! The real mom moments are my favorite posts to read:) I have a secret treat stash too, and there's no way I'll be sharing it. Nope. Nope. Nope. ;)
ReplyDeleteI feel like I share EVERYTHING - my personal space, privacy, etc. that having a little piece of something that's just mine is the best :)
DeleteLOL at the rear facing. So true, so true.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you agree! :)
DeleteLove all these! I don't bathe my kids each night either unless they obviously need one. Especially in the winter when they wear long sleeves/pants and don't go outside. I also let my kids eat off the restaurant table but usually only in places that I know are on top of cleaning them off, like Chik-fil-a. I may just need to join in on this one today!
ReplyDeleteAnd then in the summer the pool counts, right? :)
DeleteI had a moment when we turned Lily around in her car seat and realized I could no longer hide my snacks ;) Love these!
ReplyDeleteWhen I turned Griffin around and she realized that there were movies AND snacks up front she gave me this look like, "WHAT THE HECK, MOM!!!" hahaha
DeleteI love the "Sometimes I have no clue" because that is SO parenting, isn't it? It fits in a little with my mom-ent of being terrified of delivering my third kid! I mean, I'd been through it twice, but I was still so scared. Motherhood is so humbling. Thanks for hosting this great link up!
ReplyDeleteYou are so welcome and I couldn't agree more about the humbling part!
DeleteAlong the lines of "Not My Kid" - the time I left a full cart of groceries in the middle of the cereal aisle and walked out of the store with a screaming 20 month old under one arm and my infant in her car seat in the other arm. I did at least track down a worker so they could put away my perishables ;) Or the time my son had a "time out" in the small, 1/2 bathroom and proceeded to slam the door and lock it. Then get even more hysterical because he wanted mommy. Yeah my hubby was super happy to come home to a splintered door frame since I had to hip-chuck the door open to console my crying baby that I had been so mad at 5 minutes before. My children are now 15 & 13 and we laugh about all those stories!
ReplyDeleteOMG!!!! The hip chuck is AMAZING!!! Love that you laugh about the stories now :)
DeleteCan't stop giggling about the rear facing car seats....LOVE. IT. Thanks for hosting such a fun link-up!
ReplyDeleteYou are so welcome! Thank you so much for reading along!
DeleteI was nodding the entire time.. i feel like i could have written it!! Is it bad that i sometimes dread spring/summer because i know it means almost every night baths?! and the reading?! same exact situation, i'm so proud she can read, but she is always catching me trying to fib her brother! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd those darn oldest kids love to provide a correction :) hehehe
DeleteMe too! Now that my oldest is learning to read the jig is up. I can't fib bedtime stories anymore when I'm too tired to read the whole thing 😅
DeleteI love all of these and it is reassuring that we are all human and have our own things that work for us! Love this link up and have a great day!
ReplyDeleteYour blog is my favorite :) You seem so REAL and don't give us this phony online persona. Thanks for the post today, it is SO relatable.
ReplyDeleteOh goodness! As much as I would love to come across as polished and perfect and all of that, the only thing I know (and have time for) is to be honest. You're so welcome and thank you for reading!
DeleteI loved this and I am so upset that I completely forgot about it. I must do a post like this soon though. I love that you are willing to show that you aren't perfect either. Such an inspiration. Have a great week!!
ReplyDeleteYes!!! do one this week and link it up!!! I am FAR from perfect and would have to ever give anyone the impression that I'm not flawed. Thanks so much for your sweet words!
DeleteThank you for always telling it like it is :) I have 3 kids, and back when they were all under the age of 5, my husband traveled a lot....so around the bewitching hour of 5pm, I would often drive to Target, where I could strap 2 of them in the little seats and the 3rd sat in the cart area. I would push them around for a good hour and usually buy something for myself like a mini ice cream tub hidden under something we needed like paper towels :) They were "restrained" and I got an hour of exercise Ha!
ReplyDeleteLOVE that idea!!! Anytime they're strapped in is typically a good time :)
DeleteThese are too funny Andrea! I am the same way when hearing another kid have a meltdown! And I think I scared people when I just put his food right on the table without wiping it down or anything. In the beginning I would wash all his pacifiers if they fell on the floor. My mom about died when she saw I gave that up! lol!
ReplyDeleteThere was an e-card one time about how when your first baby eats dirt you call poison control, when your second baby eats dirt you wash out their mouth and when your third baby eats dirt you wonder if you can count it as a meal :) hahaha
DeleteLove these! Glad I'm not the only one! #thestruggleisreal 😉
ReplyDelete#solidaritysister !!!
DeleteIt helps to know other moms struggle and do the same things I do! The witching hour is real. My kids go bonkers as soon as I walk in. Confession: I hide in my bathroom. I come home, change clothes and pretend to use the bathroom, but I'm really reading blogs (like right now). I don't know why my husband thinks we have a chair in the bathroom. I wonder if he does this too? I'd hide in the closet, but it's too messy.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous idea!!! And yes - the witching hour is CRAY! :)
DeleteThe rear facing car seats to eat snacks secretly cracks me up! If I had children that would be me!!
ReplyDeleteSuch a luxury to snack without sharing!
DeleteMomfessionals means professional-mom, right? I always figured that's what that meant.
ReplyDeleteIt can go either way- professional mom or a place where I "momfess" my struggles and everyday life. Although I hardly consider myself a professional mom :)
DeleteI'm right there with you, no one needs a bath EVERY day... I love the rear facing seats. If I ever have another one... I'm stealing !!! I really enjoyed writing today's post :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading!!!
DeleteThis was an awesome post! Thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLove, Love, LOVE this post! :)
ReplyDeleteFantastic post! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI'm SUPER late at reading this as it's been a crazy week, BUT I wanted to comment anyway. I some how missed this post topic but I wish I didn't because I have so many mom-fessions as well! I LOVE this and I love that you are transparent and honest and real. Love your blog mama!
ReplyDelete